Frank V. Webster

“ The new diggings are as rich as butter. Shall I stake out a claim for you?'"
No one said anything for a few seconds. This unexpected news from the West, coming into that quiet farmhouse, was like a glimpse into another world. Jed was staring curiously at Gabe. Will's eyes were big with wonder at hearing of men who were about to set off in a quest for gold.
"Do you suppose that's a joke?" asked Mr. Crosby.
"No, sir!" exclaimed Gabe, firmly. "Ted Jordan don't joke about such a serious subject as prospecting for gold. This settles it. I'm going out there as fast as I can make tracks for the West. ”

“ Crosby, "troubles never come singly! We certainly are in hard luck, Enos."
"That's right," he admitted gloomily. "I don't know what to do. But there, Debby," he added, as he saw how badly his wife felt. "We'll make out somehow. We always have. I can let the interest go, and we can sell out the farm."
"No, don't do that," exclaimed his wife quickly. "We must hold on to that. It's the only way we can make a living. I don't know anything except farming, and you don't either."
"That's right, unless I could learn gold mining," admitted Mr. Crosby with a sad smile. "But we'll get along somehow." ”

“ They urged their tired horses to a gallop. As they turned into a broader part of the trail, they could hear the rattle of stones dislodged by the horses of their pursuers.
"They're closing in," spoke Jed, "and I can't get any more speed out of Pete. I guess it's all up with us."
"Better give up!" called a voice behind them. "We've got you, and the longer we have to chase you, the worse it will be. Hold on now, or I'll shoot!"
They had a glimpse of Morton, with a revolver in his hand. ”

“ While the old miner was standing at the gate, with the two brothers, Mr. Crosby came out of the house.
"Here is the man who helped us find Pete, father," said Will.
"I'm glad to meet you, sir," responded the farmer heartily, extending his hand. "Won't you come in?"
"I just invited him to dinner, dad," spoke Jed.
"That's right. Come in, Mr.—er——"
"Harrison, Gabriel Harrison, though my pardners and the boys used to call me Gabe. I'm much obliged to you, I'm sure, for your invitation."
"We don't often see strangers out this way," went on the farmer. "I understand you are a miner." ”

“ Harrison above the roar of the storm.
"I do," replied Will, frankly.
"Oh, I can stand it," answered Jed. "We may get worse than this."
"That's right, my boy," added Mr. Curtin. "This is a bad storm, but there's lots of worse things in the gold fields where you're going. Bad men are worse than bad storms."
"Right you are," murmured Gabe. "But if I'm not mistaken, this seems to be letting up a bit."
The rain did not appear to be coming down quite so hard, and there were longer pauses between the flashes of lightning. ”

“ They could not yet see the horseman, for he was hidden behind a ledge of rock. But, a moment later, a steed came into sight. To the amazement of the boys they saw, riding toward them, a group of men. And the foremost was Con Morton, the gambler who had threatened Jed, and who had robbed Gabe Harrison of nearly all his fortune. Behind him rode another person they also recognized. It was Ned Haverhill, with whom Jed had had an encounter in the saloon, and there was a third man they did not know.
"Quick!" cried Jed. "Hide the nuggets! If he sees we have gold he'll rob us! ”

“ If I put any strain on the rope on the side where you are now, there may be another cave-in."
Will started to do as his brother had directed, but he had not gone far before there came another rumble of the earth, and more dirt slid down into the hole where Jed was hidden from sight.
"Jed! Jed! Are you hurt?" cried Will. "Did it fall on you?"
But there was no answer, and, waiting in the fast gathering blackness, Will felt a great fear in his heart. What if Jed had been killed, and he was left all alone there in the mountains, with that band of unprincipled men close after him?
"Jed! Jed!" ”

“ Crosby?"
"Entirely too much so. I don't know what I'm going to do about my crops if we don't get rain soon."
Gabe Harrison looked up at the sky. The sun seemed to be blazing down as hot as ever. The old miner glanced to the various points of the compass. Then he leaned over and gravely felt of his left foot.
"What's the matter? Got a stone bruise?" asked Mr. Crosby.
"No, but I've got a very sensitive corn. It's as good as a barometer. It's beginning to hurt like all possessed, and I shouldn't be surprised if we had a rain storm soon. It always aches as it does now, just before a storm." ”

“ Now Jed had never told a lie, and he did not want to begin now, though the gambler asked a question he had no right to have answered.
Jed hesitated. He resolved he would not utter an untruth; yet to defy the man, and refuse to tell, would practically be to confess the truth. And he knew what that meant. The reckless men would overpower him and Will, and rob them of their nuggets, and the other gold, which was hidden in the saddles. Worse than this, the bad men would become aware of the existence of a rich nugget mine, and they would claim it for their own. ”

“ CHAPTER X IN THE RAPIDS
They left their horses in camp, in charge of Gabe, since the hunting ground was in a wild region, stretches of woodland being interspersed with rocky tracks, over which a steed would find it dangerous to travel.
"Now, don't make any more noise than you can help," cautioned Mr. Curtin. "No use telling the elk we're coming. Have you your guns loaded?"
"Yes," replied Jed. "I'm afraid mine's a pretty light rifle, though, to stop an elk."
"A small bullet, in the right place, is just as good as a large one," replied Mr. Hurd. "Now, don't talk any more than is necessary." ”

“ But they still pester us occasional like."
"Did one named Con Morton show up around here?" asked the old miner.
"Con Morton? No, I don't recollect any such high-sounding name as that. But you never can tell. They go by any name that suits their fancy, them gamblers."
"I'd like to see that Morton," murmured Gabe.
"Why for would you like to meet up with him?" asked Mr. Judson. "If you're looking for a straight gambling game I can show you one. I'm the United States marshal for these diggings, and I don't stand for no crooked work."
"No, thank you, I had enough of gambling," replied Gabe. ”

“ This was better news than they yet had heard concerning Dizzy Gulch, and the three gold seekers felt better over it. They soon retired to their rooms, where they slept undisturbed, though Jed had uneasy dreams of fights with mountain lions, and a band of gamblers who had revolvers as large as cannons.
With the first gleam of daylight Gabe was up, and roused the boys.
"We must make an early start for the mountains," he said. "Our real trail begins now, and for some time we'll have to depend on ourselves, for we aren't going to strike any camps." ”

“ After the refreshing draught the two brothers rested for a moment in the shade of the willow trees.
"Do you know, Will, I'm not much stuck on farming," remarked Jed slowly.
"Me either. I don't mind hard work, but there doesn't seem to be much of a prospect here."
"You're right. Dad and all of us work hard, but it does not seem to amount to anything. Times are getting harder all the while and even the weather is against us." ”

“ Much worried, Gabe prepared to spend the lonely dark hours in the deserted camp.
Meanwhile, Jed and Will were flying from the pursuing gamblers. As they went on along the valley, they found that the trail turned and went up the mountain.
"Shall we take it?" asked Will.
"Nothing else to do," replied Jed. "We can't stand and fight those scoundrels. The only thing to do is to keep on."
"But we may get lost in the mountains."
"That's happened already. We can't be much worse off that way. Neither of us know where we are, nor how to get back to camp. The only thing to do is to keep on. ”

“ This is fierce!" cried Jed, when he got his breath. The horses were huddled together, trying to find some shelter from the pelting rain beneath the trees.
"Fierce?" repeated old Gabe. "How about farming now? This rain beats the one when the cow was killed."
"That's right!" exclaimed Will. "Can't we get under some shelter?"
Hardly had he spoken when, with a terrific crash, lightning struck a tree not far away. The shock stunned the travelers for a few seconds.
"We're safer in the open," said Mr. Hurd. ”

“ What's that!" exclaimed Will, in the middle of the night, as he was awakened by hearing voices, and a noise of horses traveling over the rocky path, not far from where they had pitched their camp.
"Sounds like a lot of men," observed Jed.
"It is," replied Gabe, who had also been awakened by the talk of the boys. "They're miners, too," he added, after listening a moment. "They're on their way to new diggings. Boys, we're near our destination. This is where the main trail strikes in. The rush is on, and we're only just in time!" ”

“ Though the boys had seen these evidences of the earth's richness at the town where they first stopped, they did not lose interest in watching the men pay for what they bought with gold dust or nuggets, instead of money.
"That's what we'll be doing soon, eh, Will?" suggested Jed.
"I hope so, but maybe we'll be fooled when we get to Dizzy Gulch. Every one seems to think there is no gold there."
"Don't let that worry you," replied Jed. "We'll get gold, I'm sure. Old Gabe knows what he is about. Don't believe what those old miners say." ”

“ Hurd hadn't wounded it, I doubt very much if I could have killed it."
"Any luck, boys?" asked Mr. Curtin, as he and his partner emerged from the woods into the little clearing. "I should say so!" he exclaimed a moment later, as he saw the big elk on the ground. "Who did it?"
"Jed did," answered Will, proud of his brother's success. "I'll get the next one, though."
"I don't believe we'd better hunt any more," spoke Mr. Hurd. "We have more meat now than we can eat, and it would only be wasteful to kill more game. We're not on a hunting excursion. You shall have a chance later, Will." ”

“ There'll be no hot coffee this morning. Wood's too wet to make a fire. Cold grub for ours, until noon, when we may strike a place where we can get some dry tinder. But the sun will soon make our clothes look less as if we'd paid a visit to the washwoman. Up, everybody, and straighten out camp!"
No one cared to linger in the wet blankets, and though it was not a very cheerful company that gathered around to eat a cold breakfast, they all felt that matters might have been much worse.
The packs were soon strapped on the horses, and, mounting their steeds, the travelers set off again. ”

“ Suddenly the animal on which rode the old miner got beyond its depth, and the next instant was swimming.
"No ford here," cried Gabe. "Look out for yourselves, everybody! Don't lean too far forward so's the horses' heads will go under. Hold your guns over your heads."
By this time the five horses were swimming for the other side of the stream, with the travelers on their backs. As they advanced the current became swifter and stronger. What had seemed like an ordinary mountain river was a dangerous one. ”

“ Off in the west there was a dull rumble, where some copper-colored clouds had gathered.
"It is thunder!" exclaimed Will. "Say, I do believe it's going to rain. Won't dad be glad!"
"He sure will," spoke Jed.
"But I'm afraid it's too late to do any good," went on Will.
"Nonsense! There you go again. Always looking on the dark side of things. Why don't you say the rain will do all sorts of good?" ”

“ While Jed and his brother were having such exciting times in the West, matters at the Crosby farm were going along in their usual slow fashion.
The first few days after Jed and Will, in company with Gabe Harrison, had departed, Mrs. Crosby and her daughter Nettie were very lonesome.
"It does seem just as if I'd never see my boys again," said the mother, wiping away some tears gathered in her eyes.
"You mustn't think that way, ma," said Nettie. "First thing you know they'll come back as rich—well, rich enough to have an automobile, maybe." ”

“ When they hurried on, for a quarter of a mile further, they saw, in a field near the highway, old Pete calmly browsing on what little grass was left after the dry spell.
"There he is!" exclaimed Will. "I'll catch him. I can run faster than you, Jed."
"Better go easy," advised Gabe Harrison. "Once a horse finds out what fun it is to run away, he's liable to want to do some more of it." ”

“ I'm glad I saved my old pick now. It'll come in handy. Yes, sir, I'm off for Dizzy Gulch!"
Jed had risen to his feet. He was strangely excited.
"Do you suppose there'd be gold enough out there for any other persons, Mr. Harrison?" he asked.
"Enough? Of course there'll be! If it's any kind of a strike at all, it's a good one, or Ted Jordan wouldn't be going. But why do you ask?"
"Because I want to go!" exclaimed the lad quickly. "I've been thinking of it. Times are dull on the farm, and now that fall is coming on, there won't be work enough for us boys. Dad, can't Will and I go gold mining?" ”

“ Crosby, seriously speaking, why can't these two boys go with me? It will do them good. As Jed says, you won't need them on the farm now, and they may strike it rich. Stranger things have happened."
"I don't know that I would object to having them go, in your company," said the farmer, "for I know they are good boys, and can take care of themselves. But I'm afraid I couldn't spare the money for railroad fares, and for the outfits."
"Don't let that worry you," advised Gabe.
"But it does worry me. You can't do anything in this world without money." ”

“ Is the sheriff after you?"
"The sheriff?" repeated Jed, for the words were somewhat puzzling to him.
"Yes. Out West, where I hail from, a man doesn't run the way you have unless the sheriff gets after him. And then usually he does his running on a horse."
"Well, we happen to be doing our running after a horse," replied Jed, with a smile. "You didn't happen to see a brown horse with only a bridle on, as you came along, did you?" ”